Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Photo Hunt - Yellow

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'yellow'.

Here are two shots from Italian markets

 

Rome

 

Torino

Only 2 weeks and we'll be back for more!

Moroccan Shepherd's Pie

Poor Paul. I go away for eight days, come home and throw myself into work. I was so exhausted at the end of each day that he had to cook dinner. He ended up cooking dinner four times - a huge difference from his usual once a week.

He outdid himself on Saturday. I had found a recipe in the March Cooking Light Magazine that sounded interesting - Shepherd's Pie with a Moroccan twist. Shepherd's Pie is one of Paul's all-time comfort foods - something his grandmother made for him with love. We both love the interesting mix of flavours - salty, sweet, and spicy - that is so characteristic of Moroccan foods. Combining the two sounded like an interesting proposition.

In the end we worked together on this - it came together easily - surprisingly so given the long list of ingredients. Normally a recipe like this would overwhelm Paul just a wee bit. Yet he was fine (well, except for forgetting the addition of peas right at the end). There was something odd about the sweet potatoes - I'm used to sweet potatoes with a yellow/orange flesh . . . these were red skinned and had a white flesh inside. I know from google that these are in fact sweet potatoes, they tasted like sweet potatoes, but I confess that I missed the orange coloured-topping that I was expecting.

Other than that these were truly brilliant - different from your usual Shepherd's Pie recipe with nary a dollop of creamed corn, frozen carrot cubes, ground beef, or mashed potatoes in sight. If you like a full flavoured dish of comfort that these are for you!

Moroccan Shepherd's Pie

1  tablespoon  olive oil
1  pound  bone-in lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1  teaspoon  ground cumin, divided
1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt, divided
1 1/2  cups  chopped onion
4  garlic cloves, minced
1  tablespoon  tomato paste
1 1/2  cups  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2  cup  water
1/3  cup  sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives
1/3  cup  raisins
2  tablespoons  honey
1/2  teaspoon  ground red pepper
1/4  teaspoon  ground turmeric
1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon, divided
1  cup  frozen green peas
4  cups  chopped peeled sweet potato
1  large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Sprinkle lamb evenly with 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add lamb to pan, and sauté for 4 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove lamb from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in tomato paste, and sauté 30 seconds, stirring frequently.

Add chicken broth and 1/2 cup water to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return lamb to pan. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, olives, raisins, honey, ground red pepper, and ground turmeric. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in peas.

Cook potato in a large saucepan of boiling water 10 minutes or until tender; drain. Cool for 5 minutes. Place potato in a bowl. Sprinkle potato with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the remaining 3/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Beat potato with a mixer at high speed until smooth. Add egg, and beat until combined. Spoon the lamb mixture into 4 (10-ounce) ramekins; spread potato mixture evenly over lamb mixture. Place ramekins on a baking sheet; bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Grilled Lamb and Red Onion Tacos With Tomato-Mint Salsa

A few years ago we were lucky enough to eat at Bobby Flay's restaurant, Mesa Grill, while we were in New York. We loved everything we tried and wished that we had time to go back again but there are so many restaurants in NY to try and only so many hours in the day! ARGH

Flay is known for sophisticated twists on south-western foods. On his food network shows and in his cookbooks he works tirelessly to challenge the way Americans view and taste food – making it bold, zesty and always fun. A Flay recipe often seems complex ont eh surface but when you bite into the fresh full-flavoured dish you won't regret the effort. no, not at all.

I picked up his first cook book 'Boy Meets Grill' last year but hadn't made anything from it. Last week Paul decided that it was time for this lamb taco recipe. Who was I to deny him - especially since I got to eat the results?

These tacos were incredible. No, they were freaking amazing. Everything about this recipe worked and while the recipe looked complex on paper (it runs for three pages in the cook book) it was easy to maneuver. In fact, I napped while Paul worked away in the kitchen and he had nary a question.

Luckily it makes enough for 8 tacos - guess who gets leftovers tonight? MMMMMMMM

Grilled Lamb and Red Onion Tacos With Tomato-Mint Salsa

Grilled Lamb

2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
10 garlic cloves, chopped
3 chipotle chiles, chopped
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Two lamb tenderloins (2 pounds each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Tacos

2 grilled lamb tenderloins, sliced thinly
8 flour tortillas
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup grated white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large red onion, sliced and grilled
1/4 cup fresh mint chiffonade
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Tomato-Mint Salsa, for serving

Tomato-Mint Salsa

2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh mint chiffonade
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

MAKE THE SALSA: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside for 1 hour at room temperature.

MARINATE AND GRILL THE LAMB: Combine the ancho powder, onion, garlic, chipotles and orange juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil and blend until emulsified. Place the lamb in a shallow baking dish, cover with the marinade and let marinate for 1 hour. Heat the grill. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and grill for 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Let sit 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

MAKE THE TACOS: For each taco, lay four slices of lamb over 1/2 of the tortilla, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons each of the Jack and cheddar cheeses and 1 tablespoon of the feta cheese. Top with grilled onion and mint. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Fold over the tortilla and brush with olive oil. Grill for 3 minutes on each side or until crispy and the cheese has melted. Serve with the Tomato-Mint salsa

Lamb, Feta Sliders with Garlic Mint Sauce

Mini burgers have started to answer the call of diners looking for a quick, fun bite that packs good burger flavour. Known as sliders, these bite-sized treats have been popping up on restaurant menus and in cookbooks regularly.

Paul first made sliders about three years ago. At the time we had to make our own buns from scratch because it was impossible to find mini-hamburger buns. When I was doing the grocery shopping on Friday I found mini-burger buns - clearly a sign that the slider has gone main-stream.

At another store I spied some wonderful, fresh-ground lamb . . . there was feta in the fridge to eat up. I recalled a wonderful lamb burger Paul made in the summer of 2007 (I don't remember when our anniversary is but I can recall a burger he made 3 years ago . . . how messed up am I?) and decided to try and duplicate them but as sliders.

I whipped these up last night after a busy day of chores, hiking, and napping! The recipe made wonderful sliders - in fact I think that I liked them better as mini-burgers for some reason. Anyway, if you're looking for a great way to impress family and friends give these a try!

Lamb, Feta Sliders with Garlic Mint Sauce

4 oz English Cucumber
2 tsp minced garlic
8 tablespoons finely chopped mint, divided
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 tsp kosher salt
few drops Tabasco sauce

Sauce Directions:

Peel, grate, and seed the cucumber. Drain in a sieve while preparing the rest of the ingredients. In a small bowel, stir together the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the mint, the drained cucumber, and the remaining sauce ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2 pounds ground lamb
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup minced onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

18 slider rolls
18 thin slices of ripe tomato

Slider Directions

In a large bowl, gently mix the slider ingredients, including the remaining 6 tablespoons of mint. The shape the meat into 18 mini-patties of equal size, about 2 cm thick. Refrigerate about 15 minutes before grilling.

Grill the sliders over direct heat until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once.

During the last 30 seconds, toast the buns, cut side down.

Serve the sliders on the toasted buns with the tomato slices and cucumber sauce.

Sunday Small Bites - Mushrooms

 
The cooks on the slowtravel community forums have a new challenge - instead of each of us preparing the same recipe each week, we are preparing our own appetizer - or Small Bite - that uses a specific main ingredient. So far we have tackled shrimp, crab, sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, goat cheese, smoked salmon, pecans, pumpkin, and olives. This week we moved on and gave mushrooms a try - courtesy of Candi.

For our small bite we went with another recipe from the 2008 Better Homes and Gardens Appetizer Recipe Magazine - Saffron-Scented Lamb Mushroom Pastry Puffs. We decided on this one because we liked the sound of the middle eastern flavours + it would allow us to use up some ground lamb that was in the freezer (we're trying to clean out the freezers before the holiday crush).

The result was delicious! It was one of those things that tasted and looked very impressive - yet the amount of work involved in putting them on the table wasn't crazy. Whenever I use puff pastry I always wonder why I don't use it more often - you get such a brilliant result with little effort.

Saffron-Scented Lamb and Mushroom Pastry Puffs

8 oz ground lamb
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp fresh thyme, snipped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 hard-cooked egg, peeled, finely chopped
dash saffron threads, (I used about 1/4 tsp) crushed (I  crushed the threads in my hands)
1 package of frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water

Pre-heat oven to 400.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large frying pan cook the lamb and onion over medium heat until the meat is brown. Drain the fat from the pan. Stir in mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook 5 - 8 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chopped hard boiled eggs and crushed saffron threads. Remove from heat. Cool for about 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Roll it into a 14 inch x 10 inch rectangle. Cut it into rectangles - each about 2 inches x 3 inches.

Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling onto each pastry rectangle. The filling should be in the centre of the rectangle - lengthwise. Be sure to leave a small amount of the pastry uncovered at the ends.

In a bowl combine the egg and water. Brush the edges of the pastry rectangles with the egg wash. Roll the rectangles lengthwise in a cigar shape. Press the edges together to seal.

Place on prepared baking sheets. Lightly brush the tops with the egg wash.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the pastries are puffed up and golden brown.

Let stand for 5 minutes prior to serving.

Makes about 35 puffs.

Note: I baked one tray. The other tray went into the freezer. Today I'll remove the frozen puffs from the tray and store them in a zip lock freezer container with the baking directions taped to the underside of the lid. This will allow me to bake them later when I need some sort of small bite without doing a whole lot of work!

Lamb Meatballs with Chopped Salad and Minted Yoghurt

One of my birthday gifts was the new grilling book by Weber: Weber's Way to Grill. I have two other grilling books by Weber and they are both wonderful so I was happy to receive this new one. As I flipped through it there was recipe after recipe that I felt the urge to make - at this rate I shall be grilling twice a day well into the new year!

The first one I tried was this Greek sounding recipe for grilled lamb meatballs. The meatballs are infused with the delicious taste of garlic and ground herbs. They contrast nicely with the fresh chopped salad and simple mint yogurt sauce.

I looked at the suggested cooking/prep time and then the list of ingredients and thought 'you've got to be kidding me . . . there is no way this will be ready in under an hour'. Of course it was and we were quickly sitting down to a meal that was, as Jamie Oliver might say, bloody amazing!

Enjoy!

Lamb Meatballs with Chopped Salad and Minted Yoghurt

For the Salad:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 t finely grated lemon zest
1 t minced garlic
3 large plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 English cucumber, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 chopped Italian parsley
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

For the Meatballs:

1 1/2 lb ground lamb
1 T minced garlic
2 t ground cumin
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1 1/2 cups plain Greek style yoghurt
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 t salt

4 - 6 Greek pita (without the pocket)

Extra-virgin olive oil

In a large, non-reactive bowl wisk the oil, vinegar, lemon zest, and garlic. Add in the rest of the salad ingredients and gently toss with the dressing.

In a medium bowl, gently mix the meatball ingredients with your hands. Do not overwork the mixture or the meatballs will be tough. Form into 24 meatballs. Thread 4 meatballs onto each skewer. Lightly brush with olive oil.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat

In a small bowl mix the sauce ingredients.

Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the meatballs over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until they have browned but are still slightly pink in the centre (4 - 6 minutes), turning occasionally. During the last 30 seconds of the grilling time heat the pita bread over direct heat.

Place 4 meatballs down the centre of each pita. Top with a generous spoonful of sauce and some of the salad.

Grilled Lamb Burger Roll-Ups

Last year we tried grilling lamb burgers for the first time - we were struck with what an amazing change they made from the normal beef variety. These burger roll-ups have the great Mediterranean tastes - oregano, garlic, lamb, olives, and humus. I think that Paul was actually purring when he dug in to his; he wanted a second but also wanted to preserve some leftovers for later.

This recipe was in the 2001 Better Homes and Gardens Simple Perfect Grillingmagazine. While you'll love the flavour of these you'll also love the fact that you can get them ready in 30 minutes - start to finish. This fact alone makes them perfect for a busy summer weeknight meal.

In my roll ups I used baby spinach. I also used low-fat tortillas (I don't even know what cracker bread is!) I also discovered that my olives had been eaten by a mad olive fiend - I debated popping out the store for the one ingredient but that seemed like such a waste of gas (when gas is $ 1.35 a litre) so I used roasted red peppers. YUM

Grilled Lamb Burger Roll-Ups

1 beaten egg
3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound lean ground lamb
2 14- to 15-inch soft cracker bread rounds or four 7- to 8-inch flour tortillas
1/3 cup prepared hummus (garbanzo bean spread)
4 cups torn spinach or red-tipped leaf lettuce
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons sliced pitted kalamata or ripe olives

In a large bowl combine egg, bread crumbs, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon water. Add lamb; mix well. Form into eight 4-inch-long logs.

Grill lamb on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 14 to 18 minutes or until lamb is no longer pink, turning once.

Meanwhile, spread the cracker bread or tortillas with hummus. Sprinkle with spinach or lettuce, feta cheese, and olives. If using cracker bread, place 4 lamb pieces, end to end, near an edge of each round. Roll up, beginning with edge closest to lamb. Slice each roll-up diagonally in fourths. (If using tortillas, place 2 lamb pieces, end to end, on each tortilla. Roll up. Slice each roll-up diagonally in half.) Makes 4 servings.

Lasagna-Style Baked Pennette with Meat Sauce

a gratuitous self-promotion . . .

One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.

Our photo is currently number 12 out of 467 photos.

You can vote by clicking here

Remember a 10 is good!

Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!

*smile*

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Last week (I think it was last week, my lord how the time flies when you are being a complete slug) I was flipping through the December edition of Food and Wine magazine looking for something warm and hearty to make. This recipe seemed to fit the bill.

It was easy to prepare and packed a pleasing flavour. This dish is typical of the subtlety of Italian cooking - not the in-your-face Olive Garden style of over-spiced over-cheesed crap. Hmm, Jerry, tell us how you really feel! *smile*

The article that accompanied the recipe assured us that it was even better the second day - and it was!

1 pound pennette or ditali

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 pound ground lamb

1 pound ground veal

One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons chopped marjoram

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 quart whole milk

2 large egg yolks

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain well.

In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the ground lamb and veal and cook, stirring to break up the lumps, until the meat is beginning to brown, 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, marjoram and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over moderate heat, whisking, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is very thick and boiling, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks and the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir all but 1 1/2 cups of the sauce into the meat mixture along with the pasta and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the pasta into a 3-quart baking dish. Spread the reserved 1 1/2 cups of sauce on top.

Bake the pasta in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until bubbling. Preheat the broiler. Broil the pasta 8 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes, until the top is browned and bubbling. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving

Braised Lamb Shanks with White Beans

a shameless self-promotion . . . One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest. Our photo is currently number 15 out of 463 photos. You can vote by clicking hereRemember a 10 is good!Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!*smile*

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This is my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging round up. The host will be Truffle from What's on My Plate. The blogging event was started by Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen.

This dish is a modern rendition of osso buco, the classic Italian specialty of braised veal shanks. Here the shanks are served with white beans, instead of the more traditional risotto. The lemon-and-parsley is called gremolata (although a traditional gremolata would would also contain some anchovies).

Because the beans need time to soak it is best to start this dish the day before you plan on serving it.

This recipe was originally from the Williams-Sonoma cookbook - Italian Favorites.

1 1/2 cups dried white beans
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 lamb shanks (about 1/2 lb each)
2 red onions cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 large carrots, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch dice
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped fresh tomatoes
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
sea salt freshly
ground pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh Italian parsley

Pick through the beans, discarding any bad ones. Rinse the beans. Pl;ace in a bowl, add cold water to cover, soak for 12 hours or over night.

Drain the beans and place in a saucepan. Fill with water so that there is at least 2 inches of water about the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, simmer uncovered until tender (45 - 60 minutes). Drain and set aside.

In a dutch oven over medium heat, warn the olive oil. Add the lamb shanks and brown on all sides - 10 - 12 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the opinions and carrots to the pot and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute, stirring, for 1 minutes. Add the wine, stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir well. Return the shanks to the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the shanks are very tender - about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Add the beans, stir well, cover, and simmer gently over low heat until the lamb begins to fall off of the bones, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, stir together the lemon zest and parsley. Transfer the lamb and beans to individual plates and garnish with the lemon/parsley gremolata. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Lamb Burgers with Oregano, Mint, and Cucumber-Garlic Sauce

Paul whipped these up last night. He actually first made this recipe last year and we loved the results. For some reason (likely the fact that I get far too many food magazines and cookbooks) we never made it again until last night. These really are the best burgers I have ever had (and I have eaten my share over the years folks!)

Easy to put together and quick to cook, these burgers would be a welcome choice on a week night. We used fresh herbs and tomatoes form our garden. That is one of the nicest things about this time of the year; the ability to open the patio, door walk outside, and gather whatever I need to add to a recipe. I know that the herb is the freshest it can be!

Some folk might be put off by the use of ground lamb. I think that we were at first. We quickly got over it - there is not a strong lamb taste just the wonderful combination of garlic, feta, herbs, and onion all held together with the lamb. In a pinch you could use prepared tzatziki but it won't taste as good!

This recipe originally appeared in the Weber's Real Grilling cookbook.

Sauce:

4 oz English Cucumber
2 tsp minced garlic
8 tablespoons finely chopped mint, divided
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 tsp kosher salt
few drops Tabasco sauce

Directions:

Peel, grate, and seed the cucumber. Drain in a sieve while preparing the rest of the ingredients. In a small bowel, stir together the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the mint, the drained cucumber, and the remaining sauce ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Burgers

2 pounds ground lamb
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup minced onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

6 onion or Kaiser rolls
6 slices of ripe tomato

Directions

In a large bowl, gently mix the burger ingredients, including the remaining 6 tablespoons of mint. The shape the meat into six patties of equal size, about 2 cm thick. Refrigerate about 15 minutes before grilling.

Grill the burgers over direct heat until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once.

During the last 30 seconds, toast the buns, cut side down.

Serve the burgers on the toasted buns with the tomato slices and cucumber sauce.

Serves 6